Outtakes
by Leah by Michelangelo
Summary: This story is basically just a collection of one-shot, possibly incomplete, chapters that, for one reason or another, didn't end up getting used in my stories. Therefore it will be somewhat of a jumble, but plenty of enjoyable, heartbreaking and angry moments to enjoy! If you haven't read any of my other stories, they might not make sense, but they'll still be enjoyable.
1. BB: Poisoned

**Originally, this chapter was meant to go in my Brotherly Blunder collection, but I never really found a good moment to put it in! So here it is!**

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 **Brotherly Blunders Outtake 1:**

 **Poisoned**

I smiled with satisfaction as my katanas sliced down one Foot bot after the next. This was getting to be just too easy.

"NO!" Someone yelled, breaking my focus. I turned my head, and the next thing I knew, my immediate younger brother was shoving me backwards. I landed unceremoniously on my backside, my head hitting the wall. I groaned at the throbbing pain following the impact, but pushed myself to my feet. I'd have Donnie look over my injuries later. First and foremost, _what the shell was Raphael thinking?!_

Then, a metallic glint on a rooftop directly opposite Raph caught my eye. The hothead was standing exactly where I had been, that is, before he pushed me out of the way. I narrowed my eyes and focused on the metallic object. … _Holy shit_!

"Fall back!" I yelled to my brothers. Raphael didn't respond. "Raph!" I yelled as I ran to his side, fearing that he'd taken a shot for me. He turned towards me and there were no wounds. I let out a sigh of relief, and motioned him to follow. Raph nodded and ran after me.

Mikey and Donnie joined us and I threw down a smoke bomb to cover our escape into the sewers.

Raphael's POV

I'm still not sure what happened back there. I think I froze up 'cause of the shock, but I still can't believe I didn't get shot. I mean, honestly, what was the guy waiting for? He could have killed me, or Leo, or any of us! It's just a damn good thing I noticed him. I scratched an itching area on my shoulder half-mindedly. We're on our way back to the lair now, so at least we don't have to worry about snipers down here. My fingers brushed against something ominous, sending a small prick of pain through my collar bone area. I hissed, brushing my fingers over it again, trying to get a better feel for what it was. As I did so, I closed my eyes, trying to picture what I was feeling in my head. I slowed down a little, pulling back. "Leo." I called.

My older brother turned to me, and dropped back by my side as we continued to run back to the lair. "Raph, about earlier…thanks."

"Yur welcome." I grunted.

He nodded, and was about to go back up to the head of the group, but I reached out and held him back. Leonardo raised an eye-ridge, "What's up?"

"You know that sniper?"

He gave me a hard stare. "Yeah."

"Well, I don't think he was using bullets." I stated, yanking the object out of my chest and laying it flat on palm so my brother could see it.

Leo's face went from forest green to pale greenish-white. "Oh crap." He said. I could tell that he was just barely keeping it together. "Donnie!"

We slowed to a stop and Don and Mikey were by our side in moments. "What's up?" The brainiac asked.

"Raph's been shot."

Don's face filled with alarm as he examined me frantically.

"Not by a bullet Don. By this." I held the tiny dart out to him. The brainiac's hand reached out to touch it, but I caught his wrist. "Careful. It's probably poisoned."

"Where did it hit you?" he asked, looking for the puncture wound.

I pointed to the area just above my plastron and below my neck. Leonardo had a very solemn expression on his face. I knew what that look meant. If it had been a bullet, I would have died saving Leo's life.

"We have to get back to the lair. I won't be able to make an antidote without my equipment. Besides I have to analyze the poison to figure out what we're dealing with."

We rushed back into the lair with a great commotion. Don immediately dragged Raphael into the lab, Michelangelo following them silently, with a worried expression on his face. I watched them go, and made eye contact with Raph. He nodded in understanding.

Then I headed straight for the dojo. Master Splinter opened the doors just as I was about to enter, startling me.

"Leonardo, is everything alright? I heard a commotion."

I frowned and shook my head before explaining to Sensei what had occurred. We both entered the lab quietly.

My eyes immediately rested on Raph and Donnie. The latter was currently examining something under a microscope while the former lay face up on the lab table.

"Well Donatello?" Sensei prompted.

After a few moments of silence, Don's face darkened. He glared into the microscope. The anger melted into an expression of shock and terror. "Oh no."

"Donnie?" I asked, trying to elicit some sort of explanation.

He turned to us. Then he turned to Raphael. He took a few steps over to the table, then he bent down so that he was level with Raph's gaze. "Raphael, the dart…it wasn't poisoned, per say. It was filled with a deadly virus. I—I…" Donnie deflated, and put his hand over Raph's firmly.

Raph's expression was plain. But there was grave understanding in his eyes. "There's no cure, is there Donnie?"

Don's eyes teared up and he started to shake. "It's possible that you might survive, but the likelihood of an anyone under the age of thirty-five surviving this strain is..."

I stared. The meaning of the unspoken reply left me reeling. No. No, it couldn't mean…Raph was gonna die. _No…_ Tears began to fill my own eyes.

Raph closed his eyes and let out a long, slow breath. He grabbed Donatello's hand and sat up, pulling his immediate younger brother into a tight hug.

"NO!" The sudden exclamation made all of us jump. I stared. Michelangelo's cheeks were wet with tears as he shook his head in denial. "No, it can't be true! There has to be something…"

"Michelangelo…" Splinter said softly, trying to soothe the youngest.

"No. I won't let you die! You can't! It's not fair!" He exclaimed.

I watched as Raph stood and slowly approached Michelangelo, pulling the littlest of the four of us into his arms with such tenderness that I was momentarily stunned. Raph held Mikey close as the youngest wept against his shell.

Tears began to form in my own eyes. My fault. This is all my fault. My precious younger brother is dying because of me!

I could no longer hold back the sobs. I could feel their eyes on me, but I refused to meet their gaze. Suddenly, strong arms wrapped around my middle. I didn't have to look to know whose arms they were.

"Sh." He murmured. "It's not your fault, Leo."

"It's all my fault." I argued. "You're going to die because of me!"

"I chose to, big brother."

I shook my head. No. He was my younger brother I was supposed to protect him, not the other way around.

"We all protect each other. Either way, the result would have been the same. I thought it was a shotgun, it turned out to be a dart-gun. Well it turns out they'll both yield the same results. One of us was going to die, brother. I sure as shell wasn't gonna let it be you."

"How can you be so calm about this?" I asked, my heart literally breaking at the thought of losing my hotheaded little brother.

He smiled. "It isn't easy. But I love you guys. I always will. You're safe now, and that's all that matters. The rest is just circumstantial. We still have a little time, big brother. I won't give up easily." He pulled me into another hug and whispered. "And I know I'm not alone."

"And you won't be. I'll stay by you…till the end."

"Make that a promise?" He asked, his voice sounding incredibly small and scared.

"I promise."

* * *

That was almost a day and a half ago. Raph's condition had worsened. He was sickly and weak. He'd lost the strength to stand and was confined to bed. His fever was outrageously high for a reptile and he was slowly fading. I have stayed by his side every waking moment. It hurts to see him this way, but I promised. I promised him I wouldn't leave him alone, and I will keep that promise, no matter what.

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 **Review Please! How was it?**


	2. BB: Sickly

**So everyone asked me for a follow-up of the last chapter. Basically this was an outtake for Brotherly Blunders that I was able to add to in order to create a follow up for the previous chapter. (So pretty much the first three paragraphs were all this story had before I added to it today.) Hope you enjoy!**

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 **Brotherly Blunders Outtake 2: Sickly**

Based on my brothers' characteristics, you would think that Michelangelo or Donatello would have been the susceptible one in the family, but in fact, when we were younger, Raphael was what you might call the 'sickliest' of the four of us. As a result, my brothers and I have always been a little bit over-cautious when it comes to bad weather, or some kind of disease risks. We, myself in particular, keep an extra-close eye on our hotheaded brother, even if it is only for our own peace of mind…

See, a little bit over six years ago, Raph got really sick. It was literally a double whammy. A deadly mixture of pneumonia and the flu. Donnie did tests. Of course then he was just starting his real 'Brainiac' phase. Despite our brother's science proficiency even he could not have predicted how severe things were going to get. After the first week I, myself, was traumatized.

I hardly left Raph's side for a moment, frustrated beyond belief. All I could do was sit there, hold his hand and watch as my little brother writhed, whined and whimpered in pain. His brow was covered by a thin layer of sweat. The bright, green eyes I was so used to, were clouded over, glazed. They moved about restlessly as the young form on the bed panted hard. His breaths were ragged and uneven, which only worried me even more. Master Splinter padded softly into the room and exchanged the now warm, wet cloth on Raphie's head for a new fresh, cool one.

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But I realize now, that that was a walk in the park compared to this. I sit by his side, watching as my strong, hotheaded brother slips away into darkness. He's been delirious for the past three days. His rare moments of lucidity only hurt even more.

"Leo…" a weak, gravelly voice called out.

My head snapped up and I stared down at his pale green face. "Raph…"

His grip on my hand tightened feebly and he grinned. "You're still here."

I smiled and lay my hand over his softly. "Of course I'm still here. I promised."

He grinned again, before a pained look crossed his face. He sighed and let his head fall back on the pillow. "Who knows? It's been three days. With you by my side I might just be able to make it through this, eh Fearless?"

My grip on his hand tightened as another wave of pain overtook him. "Raph…Do you remember about six years ago when you were sick?"

He looked at me with confused, glazed-over eyes. "Leo…" Then as I gave him an earnest look he answered the question. "How…could I…forget?" Raph panted out.

"I'd never been more scared in my entire life as I was during those four weeks you were sick. And now…I don't want to lose you. I—I've always felt protective of you because I'm your only older brother. And I know we fought a lot and I can't tell you how many times I've wished I could just take all those horrible words back." I pulled the now warm cloth off his forehead, dipped it in the bowl of cold water by my side and exchanged it for a cool one that was already soaking.

He whimpered, and it made me cringe. It was so hard seeing him like this. Such a vibrant, fighting spirit reduced to such a state by a disease. I could feel the tears starting to come and I forced myself to look away.

"You'll always be Fearless to me, big brother."

I blinked back the tears and sent him a confused stare. He just smiled and tried to push himself up a little. He offered me his hand.

I took it without hesitation. "Raphael, don't strain yourself."

Raph looked directly up into my eyes as he confessed. "You guys are my strength, Leo. Without the three of you…I'd be nothing."

"Raph, please don't stop fighting. Never stop fighting this thing. You can beat it. I know you can. You've always been the strongest of the four of us."

"Leo…"

"Please Raph." I whispered brokenly, cutting him off as he looked at me with sad eyes. "Promise me you'll give it all your strength."

He frowned and muttered. "I promise."

Three more days passed and Raphael's condition continued to get worse. Sensei began to sit with me and we would keep a constant vigil with Raphael. Donnie visited constantly as he overworked himself trying to find some kind of medicine that could help Raph combat the virus. Mikey's visits were few and far between. I knew it was really hard for him to see his strong, hotheaded sibling so beaten and so frail. Mikey was struggling with the gravity of the situation.

I jumped slightly as Donatello burst into the room in a big green and purple-masked blur of motion. He ran to Raph's side, readied what looked like a syringe and injected it into Raph's upper arm. Raph, who was too far-gone to notice just groaned and tried to pull his arm away. I held Raphael's arm still and Don gave me a grateful look. After he'd finished, Sensei and I stared expectantly at him as we waited for an explanation.

Don gestured to the syringe. "I created a supplement that should help control his symptoms."

I dared to hope. "You mean…"

"I'm not sure, but at least now he has a fighting chance."

Sensei put a hand on Raph's sweating brow. "Be strong…my son."

* * *

Raphael kept his promise. He fought with all his might. And three weeks later…

"C'mon Leo! I'm dyin' in here! I wanna get up topside! I wanna bust some heads!"

I frowned and put my hands on my hips. "Raph, you just aren't ready yet! Donnie says you're still susceptible!" I sighed. "Besides, you need to get your strength back and in order to do that you need to wait at least another week!"

He pouted and crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm not a baby Leo! I don't need you to coddle me!"

I stepped forward and wrapped him in a hug, which he was very eager to get out of. Of course, I didn't let him. "Please Raph…for us?"

I glanced over at my other brothers and we all gave him grave looks.

He sighed. "You really are the limit. Ya know that?"

I smiled. "Yeah Raph we know. But we look out of each other. That's what brothers do. And that's what we'll continue to do until you get better." I stated, rubbing his bald head affectionately as I pulled him into a headlock.

He groaned and glared up at me. "You sap."

"What can I say, little brother? We're just happy you're alive."

"Me too, Leo. Me too." He muttered softly.

The four of us all piled onto the couch and watched movies for the rest of the night. And in the morning when I woke up, I couldn't bring myself to move. Raph leaning heavily against my side with his head on my shoulder. Mikey was stretched out on the floor in front of us hugging Raph's foot to his chest and Donnie was sleeping with his head on Raph's chest. I smiled, leaned my head against Raph's and drifted back into darkness.

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	3. BB: Out, Damned Spot

**So, this is an outtake from Brotherly Blunders. (They're not all from Brotherly Blunders. It just so happened that the first few were.) But I worked on this chapter for so long, and just never had the motivation to go any further with it. So I'm gonna call it complete. Enjoy!**

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 **Brotherly Blunders Outtake 3: Out Damned Spot**

Raphael stared down at the blood on his hands. Then he stared at his brothers. Their eyes were wide and filled with horror. He shoved the body away, but he couldn't tear his gaze away from his blood-stained hands. There was blood splattered on his plastron as well, but his attention was riveted on his hands. He would forever have this man's blood on his hands. Nothing could make this go away.

Raph stumbled backwards, in shock. He didn't realize it, but tears had welled up in his eyes. The hothead ripped his gaze away from the blood and back to his brothers' faces. They still looked terrified.

 _Of me._ Raphael thought _, they're terrified of me._ _Their own brother._ _I'm a monster to them now._ _I'm dangerous. But of course I am_. _Look at what I just did to that guy!_

But another part of Raphael's inner self began to scream in protest and finally he burst out into tears. _I—I didn't mean to! I was j-just trying to protect Mikey, I…holy shit—I didn't mean to!_ Raph wiped the tears away with the back of his hand and steadied himself with slow breaths. He would not allow this to break through his 'tough guy' façade and especially not in front of his brothers.

Leonardo recovered first. In two long strides he was standing right in front of his immediate younger brother. His gaze was hard, stoic and firm, but behind that Raph could see an offer of comfort and reassurance.

Leo yanked his younger brother into a tight hug, which Raph slowly reciprocated, internally grateful for the comfort. The red-masked turtle gave in to a moment of weakness as the tears ran down his face. Raph's thoughts whirled. He hadn't meant to, he was just protecting Mikey and his temper, and, and, and…

Leonardo proved to be extremely patient and extremely supportive. He listened to Raph's blurbs without complaint, slowly moving the hothead away from the body and motioning his two youngest brothers to follow them.

Donatello and Michelangelo said nothing, both of them still in shock. In truth, their silence hurt Raphael more than anything else. He assumed they thought less of him for what he had done. _After all, who wouldn't?_ As they proceeded back home towards the lair, Raphael bowed his head.

When they entered the lair, Master Splinter rushed up to them right away. The first thing the old rat noticed was the blood on Raphael's hands. At first Splinter feared the turtle had been injured, but a quick glance at the hothead's stance suggested something very different.

Raph stood with his feet planted loosely on the ground, his back straight, knees slightly bent and his head bowed low. He looked almost like he was prepared to duck below the radar and head straight for his room before anyone was the wiser. Then the old rat's gaze turned back towards his second son's hands. There was a large amount of blood on them, but only on the fingers, not on the back of his hands, and there appeared to be little, if any, on his palms. Which would result from…his having to use his weapons in the way they were intended: To stab.

Splinter frowned. But all the questions he was about to ask his second son were answered by a single, one-second bout of eye-contact. Raphael's eyes were filled with shock, self-depreciation, and guilt. His hands clenched into fists. Sensei's gaze softened as Raphael looked away and bowed his head.

"What happened?" He asked his eldest son.

Leonardo's eyes glimmered softly. Then, after a brief glance in Raphael's direction, the eldest said, "We were attacked by a group of Foot Soldiers, Sensei. But we managed to defeat them."

Splinter could tell that the oldest had given him a very simplified, and nondescript version of what had occurred, but he decided that was for the best. Raphael's bright green eyes had fogged over and he appeared to be staring into space.

As the other three brothers went off to celebrate their 'victory,' Raphael was left alone, staring into space.

Splinter was the only one who witnessed the hothead's hands begin to tremble violently, and the beautifully polished sais, which had always been so treasured, be cast aside and abandoned on the floor of the main room.

* * *

 **Three weeks later…**

It was very very early in the morning when Leonardo woke. Almost three o'clock. The eldest turtle cursed his light sleeping habits and got up. After a few minutes of debating with himself, Leo decided to go to the kitchen and fetch a glass of water. When he rounded the entrance to the kitchen, he found the lights already on. Suspicious, Leo glanced about for something he could use as a weapon and was able to get his hands on a wooden spoon. Not that he had any idea what it was doing in the hall.

Leo jumped into the kitchen with the spoon held high. A low, rumbling chuckle greeted him. "That's a good look for you bro. And honestly it's just about the most idiotic looking pose I've ever seen."

The older turtle relaxed and tossed the spoon off to the side. "What are you doing up?"

"That's my question." Raph stated argumentatively. "What are you doing up?"

"I can hear Mikey snoring through the wall. Can't sleep. Now why don't you answer my question?"

Raph shrugged. "It's not too surprising that I'm up."

At Leo's confused stare the hothead went on. "I've developed a new sleeping schedule. One that doesn't allow me to sleep at all." Then he shrugged, "well, other than a few winks here and there."

Leonardo frowned and took a seat beside Raphael at the counter. "Everything okay?" he asked softly.

Raphael gave him a look that screamed, _Are you kidding me?_

But Leo's soft, blue eyes were calm and understanding, so ever so slowly Raphael's resistance began to cave and the hothead murmured, "I keep seeing him."

Leo raised an eye-ridge.

Raphael explained, "I keep seeing him in my dreams. The man I… I keep seeing him. And I just can't sleep after that. Not after what I've done."

Leonardo frowned, deeply concerned. Goodness knows he wanted to do something, anything to help his younger brother. But he really didn't know what to do. He had no experience with what Raphael was going through. Raph was hurting. That much was clear. And Leonardo hated it when one of his younger brothers was hurt.

Raph needed help. That much was clear. But what could he do? What could he possibly say to ease the hotheaded turtle's conscience? There was nothing he could say. Raphael would blow him off saying that he wouldn't understand. Suddenly Leo was awakened to another possibility. Perhaps he couldn't understand, but he knew someone who would.

Leo broke the uncomfortable silence between them with a sigh. Raph glanced at him and the eldest turtle murmured, "Guess we should both try to get a little sleep. Training starts at five thirty."

The only reply Leo got was a grunt. They both stood and headed out and down the hall to their rooms.

"Goodnight Raph."

"Yeah sure. Sleep well and all that." Raph replied.

Leo watched as Raphael dejectedly entered his room and shut the door. Leonardo was worried. Very worried.

* * *

The next morning both Leo and Raph were late to breakfast. Raphael was often late to breakfast. But Leo? Leo being late for anything was unusual. As the clock showed exactly five o'clock Donnie and Mikey exchanged glances. Leo was always on time, but today Leo was late. And when Leo was late something was up.

Master Splinter joined them at precisely five minutes past five as always. The rat glanced at Raphael's empty place, but when he saw that Leonardo's place was also vacant, his eyebrows furrowed. Still, the rat sat down and said nothing.

At ten past Leonardo swept into the room so rapidly and haphazardly that all three other members of the turtle clan jumped to their feet. Master Splinter was quite startled, which was a feat in and of itself, "Leonardo! What is the meaning of—"

Leo cut Sensei off mid-sentence shocking the other turtles. "Father I need to talk to you. Now. Please?"

Splinter was going to object, but Leonardo hardly ever called him father and he certainly wouldn't be acting this way if there weren't a very strong reason for doing so. The old rat nodded in acquiescence and herded the eldest turtle into the dojo.

It took Leonardo a few moments to compose himself. Splinter could tell that the blue-masked turtle was struggling with what he was about to reveal. "Calm, Leonardo. Kneel." Leo did as told. "Now what is it that has so unnerved you?"

Leo bowed his head. "It has to do with Raphael, Sensei. We didn't exactly tell you the truth about what happened in our battle with the Foot three weeks ago. See, Raphael…well, a Foot soldier snuck up on Mikey. If it weren't for Raph, the foot soldier could have…" Leo's voice broke.

Splinter cut in, "I understand, my son."

Leo nodded and went on, "Raph…he acted as any of us would have and he…jumped to Mikey's rescue. He stabbed the Foot Soldier. I think he assumed it was a robot. B-but it wasn't. There was blood everywhere. And Raph…" Once more Leonardo's voice cracked.

Sensei lowered his eyes and turned away. "I had suspected as much. For the past three weeks I have been hoping that Raphael would come to me himself. I can see now that that is not going to happen."

Leonardo didn't ask any questions, another indication that he was very deeply disturbed. Splinter's gentle, non-demanding eyes, probed the eldest turtle's expression for a moment before both of them were startled by loud yelling coming from the kitchen and the sound of feet rushing towards the dojo. Leonardo looked panicked. He knew what was coming. Before Raph reached the dojo, Leo stared up into his father's eyes and whispered. "He's having nightmares."

Splinter's expression was grave. Indeed, the situation had turned into a very serious one. The old rat shook his head. First kills were never easy.

At that moment the dojo doors burst open and Raphael stared from his older brother to his father and back again. Then he settled his glare on Leo. "You told him?"

Leo stood, approached his brother, and placed a hand on the tense emerald green shoulder. His voice was no more than a whisper, "I had to do something."

Raph pulled away and turned his carapace to the both of them.

Leonardo went on, "You're only hurting yourself, Raph. Please, let us help you."

"There's nothing you can do!" Raph yelled. When he turned around the hothead had tears in his eyes. "I'm a murderer, Leo! There's nothing you can do to change that!"

Michelangelo and Donatello had entered the room slowly after Raph. They exchanged glances and approached their older brothers. Mikey wrapped Raph in a hug and Don rubbed his carapace soothingly.

Raph's eyes closed and tears ran down his face. The hothead shook his head emphatically as he tried to worm his way out of his brother's grip. Both of them refused to yield. Master Splinter frowned. "Michelangelo, Donatello, let him—"

Sensei was cut off by Raph's loud "No!" as the hothead shoved the younger turtles away. Luckily, Leo managed to help break their fall so that no one was injured, but Raph's refusal of their younger brothers' help made the eldest even more concerned. A quick glance at Mikey and Don told Leonardo that he wasn't the only one.

"Leave us, my sons." The old rat murmured. Leo reluctantly met Sensei's gaze, "Leonardo, you reported this to me so that I could help your brother. Now you must stand back and allow me to do so. Go, my son. I shall take care of Raphael."

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	4. Brother's Intuition: The Line

**This was meant to go in A Brother's Intuition. But I changed the intended pollen a little bit, so it didn't really fit anymore. Basically this starts rather abruptly in the midst of a confrontation between Leo and Casey. Enjoy!**

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 **A Brother's Intuition Outtake 1: The Line**

"You know nothing about my brother!"

Jones bristled and his teeth clenched. "I know more than you." He retorted, his voice quiet and even. _Who the hell did this guy think he was?! Raphael's brother or not it was obvious that he had absolutely no idea of what Raph was truly like_. But Casey knew, and he wasn't about to allow this stuck-up prick to come down like lightning on his best friend and especially not in his presence. "Look…it's Leo, right?"

The eldest turtle growled in affirmative.

"Why don't you just ask Raph? He'd tell you if you asked him, only none of you ever seem to care enough to ask him for his opinion!"

"Always one to criticize aren't you? I'll bet you're the backup he was talking about. The backup that abandoned us to fight that Shredder dude on our own. Well look how that turned up. I bet you didn't even care that Raph came home with a wound that could have killed him either!"

That was the final straw. Leo, the master of patience and fluidity, completely lost his cool. Anger surged through him at the human's words. How dare this pitiful creature insinuate that he didn't care about his younger brother?! Within moments Leonardo's katanas were drawn. The blue-masked turtle shoved the human backwards, his blades threateningly close to Casey's chest. Leonardo surged forward, blinded by rage. Just as the ninja leader was about to pin the human, Casey was shoved out of the way, and Leonardo found himself pointing his katanas straight at his little brother's plastron, right over the heart. Leo's face paled as he realized what he was doing.

Raphael's eyes were wide with shock. But more than that there was fear. Fear in his younger brother's eyes. Leonardo's heart leaped into his mouth. He couldn't speak. He couldn't utter a sound. The eldest pulled away, his heart beating fast and out of control. Leo turned away and let his younger brother up. He swayed and almost lost his balance as he thought of what he had almost done. What he could have done.

Sure, he and Raphael had traded blows over the years, but they had never threatened each other with their weapons. At least, never like this. Leo had never come this close to actually...And never, no matter how enraged he had been, had the older turtle lost his grip. But this time…Leo had lost control. He could have seriously injured his younger brother. And that thought absolutely terrified him.

Suddenly another thing occurred to Leonardo. Over the past year they had grown so accustomed to the enjoying the human world that they had lost what little awareness they had of their true strength.

Then there was something else the turtle had to consider. Bad enough that he had almost injured his own brother, what would he have done to the human had he been able to get his hands on him? Leonardo dreaded the answer to that question.

"Leo…" The eldest turtle heard from behind him.

Leo could feel his brother reaching for his shoulder so he jerked it away. He couldn't even look Raphael in the eyes, he was ashamed of what he'd done, what he could have done…

What the eldest didn't know, what he couldn't see, was that Raphael blamed himself. He never should have brought Casey here. He should have known better. The hothead felt that he'd betrayed the trust that his older brother had placed in him. When Leo pulled away from him, Raph feared that he had lost that sacred trust.

Casey Jones watched, observing the likeness in the two brothers as the walls between them, which had just crumbled, were rebuilt in a matter of seconds. Raphael's posture changed in the way Casey had learned meant he was trying to conceal his emotions.

Leo's stance was much the same, and the older turtle straightened, but remained facing away from his younger brother. That made Jones frown. The sword-wielding turtle just attacked his already injured brother and he couldn't even look Raph in the eyes?

"Leo…I'm sorry."

 _The hell was Raph apologizing for?!_ Jones wondered. The fierce sense of protectiveness he'd developed for the young turtle had been rubbed the wrong way and he growled. " **You** shouldn't be apologizing to **him**."

Raph's eyes narrowed as he addressed the human, "You, shut up!" He turned back to his brother. "Leo, please…"

"I'll see you back at the lair later. Try and be home by midnight."

Anger and a small measure of betrayal welled up in Raph's chest. "Oh yeah, and what happened to you keeping an eye out for me?!"

"I'm sure your human friend is more than capable. You'll probably be safer with him anyway." Leo stated dejectedly, still facing away from the younger turtle. "I'm heading home."

Raph's face was a mix of confusion and surprise, followed by determination. "I'll go with you." He said as he trailed after his brother.

"No." Leonardo stated, finally turning just enough to look Raphael in the eyes.

The younger turtle was momentarily thrown by his older brother's gaze. There was something strange in the way his brother stared at him. Raph stared back for a few moments before recoiling rapidly. _Well if that's how it was gonna be._

Leo heard the human growl and his eyes narrowed. He turned back to his brother and whispered, "Please Raph, I just need a little time."

Slowly Raphael drew further and further away and Leo had sense enough to look guilty. Casey watched their interaction with avid interest. He had no siblings himself, but if he had he certainly wouldn't act like this. It seemed to him that Raph and his older brother must have had a very strained relationship, considering how wary they each were of the other.

The key indication was the way Raph carried himself. Casey knew from experience that Raphael did not easily admit to something being his fault, yet when it came to his older brother, the hothead just accepted the blame. That bothered Casey. Especially since Raph had done absolutely nothing wrong. Or, so he thought.

Raphael was internally cursing himself for somehow always managing to do the wrong thing when it came to improving his relationship with his only older brother. No matter what he tried it just seemed as though he always ended up ruining whatever trust he gained from the older turtle.

"I…I gotta go…" The eldest stated again, once more turning away.

"Why does this always happen?" Raph muttered.

Leo glanced back over his shoulder, "What do you mean?"

"Every time we finally patch things up something happens and we end up arguing, or worse, we end up avoiding each other for months."

"That won't happen this time."

Raph laughed bitterly, prompting Leonardo to shoot his brother an uncomfortable glance. Raph smiled in an eerie way that prompted Leo to be a little concerned as to his brother's mental state. "It's already happening. You've closed yourself off. Won't tell me what's really bothering you."

Casey suddenly felt like he was intruding on a very personal conversation. "Um…I'll just…" He gestured off to the side. "See ya Raph."

"Don't go. I need to talk to you." Raph said sternly. He approached the human. "I just thought you would want to know how I was doing. And Jones." Casey looked up at him. "In the future I expect you to treat my brother with respect. Another time like this and I'll slap some sense into both of you. You're my friend Case and I respect you, but if you ever talk to my brothers like that again…"

Casey held up his hands. "I got it. I got it." _But I don't have to like it._ He thought, still a little bitter after the whole exchange. The human began to turn away when he realized, "Hey Raph!" The turtle turned back towards him as he turned around. "Got something for ya." Casey Jones tossed his mutant friend a small, nondescript object.

Raph's eyes widened. "No way…you really…?" His bright green eyes stared wonderingly down at the human. Leonardo approached and looked over Raphael's shoulder with a look of innocent curiosity on his face. Jones raised an eyeridge. The eldest turtle looked different now. He seemed a lot more open and calm, and though the human still didn't really like him, he decided to do his best to be courteous around Leonardo from now on since the older turtle's opinions obviously meant a lot to Raphael.

"It was a gift he promised me. An incentive for me to survive my wounds." Though it was meant to sound ironic, the words were flat and stale.

Slowly the older turtle's eyes came to rest on his younger brother's face. "I didn't realize you needed an incentive."

And just like that the conversation grew awkward. Raphael wanted to say something, but his tongue was tied by emotions he could not verbally express. How could he explain to his brother what he truly felt? Something Master Splinter once said echoed in his mind, "The purest words are those spoken, not by the mouth, but by the heart."

With that thought Raphael pulled his eyes away from his brother's and he muttered, "I have no great reasons to desire this world brother. My heart…" Raph paused and closed his eyes, trying to speak only the words of his heart. "…my heart tells me that my only purpose here is to be here for you guys. Well I am. And I have been. Perhaps it would be clearer to you if I say that when my times does come, it will be of no great loss to me nor should it be for you."

"Raph…what are you saying?" Leo whispered disbelievingly.

"I do not need an incentive, brother. But I will only resist the call of death if you and the others so wish it."

Leonardo was absolutely terrified. His mind flew back to when Raphael was injured.

 _"Hang in there."_

 _"Trust me I'm hanging."_

 _There was a strange look in Raphael's eyes. One that I had never seen before. I did not know then quiet what it meant._ The eldest thought. _But now I know. Raphael's eyes were telling me something then. Something I hadn't understood at the time. He was telling me that he had decided to live. For us. For me. Just the thought that he would even consider doing otherwise…That scares me._

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 **Well, how was it? Review please!**


	5. Midori: Vigilante

**This outtake was originally written for my story Midori, but after I changed the plotline around a little there was no real place for it to fit in. But I love the situation though. No Midori in this chapter.**

 **It begins with Leo searching for Raphael and finding something surprising in Nightwatcher's motorcycle compartment.**

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 **Midori Outtake 1: Vigilante**

After finding Raph's mask in the compartment on the Nightwatcher's motocycle, Leonardo had been overcome by rage, believing the vigilante had done something to Raphael. And now the eldest turtle was locked in an intense battle with the nighttime vigilante. So far…Leo was beating the crap out of his oppent. Oddly enough, it seemed to Leo that Nightwatcher was letting him.

"I swear I didn't hurt your brother." The vigilante murmured. "But I can understand why you're so keen on fighting me. Nothing else matters when it comes to keeping your family safe."

And in that moment Leo couldn't bring himself to attack. It felt too much like fighting Raphael.

Sensing his brother wasn't about to move, Nightwatcher hooked his chains back on his belt and spoke. "Leo, right?"

The turtle looked up at him, surprised.

"Raph's told me a lot about you. We're similar souls he and I. He told me to watch out for you. Way he made it sound I was expecting someone very different. I can see how concerned you are, but you don't have to worry. He's already headed back home."

"How would you know?"

"I can tell. Like I said, we're more alike than even you realize."

"If you're lying..." Leo's voice tapered off and his grip tightened around his katanas, readying for a mighty strike.

Raph took a deep breath, and whispered quietly, "Despite the fact that we're on slightly different sides, I'd be proud to fight alongside you. So is he. Don't doubt his loyalty. This may sound fickle, but trust him. Raph knows what he's doing. He knows the stakes. Better than you'll ever know."

Lowering his gaze back to his brother's mask, Leo whispered intently, voice still hard and cold, "Where is he?"

"Closer than you think." Was the vague and only answer he got before the Nightwatcher vanished in a puff of red-tinted smoke.

Leo was out, desperately searching the streets for another hour after his encounter with the Nightwatcer. As he was searching the warehouse district his phone rang and he answered it reluctantly. "Hello?"

 _"Leo you need to come home right now, Raph's been attacked!"_

"Is he okay?"

 _"He's got some minor wounds, a slight concussion and lots of bruises and scratches."_

"I'm on my way."

* * *

Leonardo burst into Donatello's lab with the focus of a marksman on the bull's eye. He steered himself over to the lab table where Raphael was currently seated and grabbed him forcefully by the shoulders, glancing at him fearfully.

"I'm fine." Raph said evenly.

But Leo didn't answer. Instead, he stared into his younger brother's bright green eyes, noting that the scarlet fabric that usually framed them was absent. Slowly, the blue-masked turtle pulled out the red mask and placed it in his brother's hands.

Raphael glanced down at his mask and then up at his brother. "How'd you find it?"

Leo narrowed his eyes and took a long moment before answering, in a whisper. "Nightwatcher."

Raph's stare was exactly as Leo had hoped it wouldn't be: indifferent, unconcerned, and most importantly, not surprised. When the hothead broke eye contact, it only confirmed what the older sibling had deduced from his conversation with the vigilante. "You're working with him."

There was no way Raphael could deny it, of that Leonardo was certain. His words were not an implication, but rather a direct statement. Fortunately for him, the hotheaded turtle didn't even try to argue.

"How long?"

Green eyes flicked up to him, "What?"

"How long have the two of you been working together?"

Raph smirked, his gaze falling to floor once again, while their younger brothers stared in shock. "Long enough." Came the quiet, and vague reply.

Dark blue eyes examined the emerald green turtle carefully, probably trying to determine whether or not his brother was lying. "Why didn't you say anything?"

Raph leveled a bland stare at him. "You really gotta ask that, Fearless?"

Leo sighed, Raph had a point, he already knew the answer to that question, but still, he went on. His voice was hard and firm like it had been earlier with the Nightwatcher. "It has to stop."

Raphael said nothing.

"And you better tell your friend to stop too."

"He's not my friend." Came the gruff and gravelly reply. Leonardo's gaze was a question in itself, and Raph went on. "Let's just say we understand each other..." He looked down again, and the eldest realized that he was still hiding something.

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 **Well…How was it? Did you like it? Review Please!**


	6. Midori: Woman's Intuition

**I'm gonna post this chapter and then it's off to math class! (Where I plan on writing the next chapter of Silent Partner! I'm really good at math, so I always finish with time to spare. YAY, extra writing time! That's the only reason I like Math class!) Anyway. This outtake chapter just didn't fit with the plotline and so I just pulled it out of the story. Enjoy!**

 **For those of you who are reading this and might not know it, Midori is my OC and her vigilante name is Jade. And Raph has a crush on her, so there you go. That's about all the intro you need.**

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 **Midori Outtake 2: A Woman's Intuition**

Raphael burst into Jade's lair and headed straight for the cabinet where he kept his Nightwatcher suit. His plan was to grab the suit and get out as quickly as possible. The longer he lingered here, the higher the chance he'd put Midori in danger. Just as he was about to step into the suit the lights in the underground warehouse snapped on. He staggered from the blinding light, whirling around to glance up dazedly at the dark figure in the entryway.

"I've been waiting."

The turtle exhaled a breath he hadn't even realized he'd been holding. "You need to get out of here. Wait at least a month before you come back. It's not safe. Now that I've been here, you'll be in danger."

"I was worried. Your injuries were extensive." She answered, ignoring the turtle' previous comments. _Purposely,_ Raph realized with his eyes narrowed. Then something else about her comment caught his attention.

"How would you know what my injuries were like?" He asked.

"I was watching from the roof tops above. After I helped Blue take out the Foot Bots and then…"

"Leo? You had to help Leo?"

"Yeah, he was outnumbered forty-two to one. I assumed he'd told you." She said with an impassive shrug.

Raphael shook his head and she nodded.

"—After I saw your condition, I began to feel that I should have helped you instead."

Raph shook his head once more, and put a hand on her shoulder, "No, you did the right thing. Thank you." He didn't have to say anything more for her to know how grateful he was. She knew his family meant everything to him.

"He seemed nice enough, though he wasn't too happy to see me. At least he knows how to accept help when he needs it."

The hothead smirked and raised an eye-ridge. "That a jab at my pride, brat?"

Her honey-colored eyes glazed over with seriousness. She avoided his gaze, staring at the floor, "Pride can lead to inevitable defeat." At the end of the phrase, her eyes flicked upward, burning into his.

Silence ensued as they stared at each other.

Finally she spoke again, "I don't want to see you hurt."

They both pushed down the feelings that welled up inside of them at the soft-spoken words. They were not in a relationship. Raph knew that she could never truly care for him the way he wanted. She was a human and he a mutant. It was hard, but as long as he could stay close to her, he was happy. They were friends, nothing more. And that wasn't about to change.

He felt a soft hand on his shoulder and he looked down into her beautiful, desperate gaze.

"At least stay until your injuries heal, you won't win if you go in hurt."

Raphael couldn't bring himself to deny her, but he had to speak. "You could be hurt."

"Oh, but I won't be. I'll stay here with you."

"What about your uncle?" the turtle asked.

"He still hasn't returned. Something weird is going on. He says the company negotiations keep getting pushed back."

Raph's face hardened. "Isn't that a bit suspicious?"

Midori's eyes narrowed, "What do you have against him?"

"He's weird Midori! He searches your room when you're not at home and he has that tattoo on his arm!"

She stood angrily, with her hands on her hips. "Oh, so just because someone has a tattoo, that makes him suspicious?"

"It does when that tattoo resembles the Shredder's old Japanese symbol!"

The young woman recoiled, pulling away from him. "No. My uncle would never work for the Shredder!"

"You think I'd lie to you?!" He asked, grabbing her arm firmly.

"No, I think your dislike clouded your vision. You saw what you wanted to see!" she retorted.

Raph's temper flared and he squeezed her arm tighter, not realizing what he was doing. "I'm not blind, Midori!"

"Raphael, let me go!" She said, trying to pull her arm away, he growled. "Let go, Raph! You're hurting me!"

The turtle released her instantly, staring down at his hand, and then at her. He saw the fear in her eyes. She was afraid of him. His hands shook and he collapsed onto his knees. "Midori I—" Tears formed in his eyes. He truly was a monster, he could have hurt her…he could have…in his rage.

"I'm sorry." He whispered, the words suddenly sounding empty, even to his own ears.

But Midori heard the pain there. She fell to her knees and looked up into his eyes before pulling him into a gentle hug. She pulled away, cupping his face gently in her hands.

Raph tried to pull his face away, but eventually he just stared at the ground. "I can't stay here, I'll be a danger to you."

Amber eyes sparkled. "No, you have to stay."

"I can't Midori." He said. Then he added, in a whisper, "I'd never forgive myself if you were hurt because of me. I won't take that chance." He paused a moment, and when he spoke again his voice was barely audible, "I couldn't bear to lose you." Raph finished, staring at her arm.

She tilted his face to look him in the eyes. "It takes a lot more than that to hurt me."

Raph's eyes narrowed, "Dragon's after me, Midori. He won't stop at anything. I'm being hunted like an animal. I can't risk your life by staying here."

One of her long, thin hands came to rest on his left shoulder. "Then it's even more important that you stay. He won't find you here."

The frustration returned and Raph's eyes were on fire. "And how long do you expect me to hide? A day, a week, a year? I spent fifteen years of my life restricted to the sewer. I won't hide anymore."

Midori frowned. Raph stood, and so did she. He stepped into his suit and pulled it on. He grabbed his helmet off the table and began to head for the door. A thin, gentle hand caught his shoulder. The turtle turned around slowly to face her. "I'm going with you."

"No!" He stated lowly and emphatically.

Her right hand cupped his face once more. "There's nothing you can do to stop me." She paused, staring into his eyes, pulling closer until they were mere inches apart. Raph stiffened, and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. She whispered softly in his ear, "I care more than you think I do." Finally Midori pressed the side of her face against his plastron, tucking her head under his neck.

After a few long moments his arms wrapped tentatively around her waist, "I—you could get hurt." He whispered, his voice heavy with emotion.

Midori pulled away and stared up at him. "You've risked your life for me. It's time I do the same for you."

Raph frowned and pressed one emerald green hand to the side of her face, glaring her sternly in the eyes. "I don't like this."

"You don't have to." She replied with determination.

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 **Well, how was it? Did you like it?**

 **If you have read Midori you can probably see why didn't really fit.**

 **Review Please!**


	7. BB: Chalk and Cheese

**If you've read my Brotherly Blunders series you probably remember a chapter of short excerpts I called phrases. There was one among them called Chalk and Cheese which many people told me they enjoyed, however they might not have enjoyed it as much if they had seen my original draft of it.**

 **I know this is short, but it is impactful, or at least I think so. In the end, after I wrote it, I decided to only put the first two paragraphs in and I added a happier, more uplifting ending. But this is the original.**

* * *

 **Brother Blunders Semi-Outtake: Chalk and Cheese**

I've never really understood the relationship between Raphael and Michelangelo. They're as different as chalk and cheese, and yet they're so close. But then…as I watch the they interact, the way Raph smiles easily in Mikey's presence, I realize that when all the walls that surround the hothead fall all that's left is a spirit very much akin to Michelangelo's. I don't have many memories of Raph before he really began to become 'Raph', but the ones I do have…

I recall how he used to lay up against me while I read stories to him. I remember how the four of us used to cuddle up next to each other after training and take a nap, and how Raphael always used to lay his head on my shoulder. I remember how he used to laugh so openly and so freely, I smiled as I recollected rather faded memories of me chasing a young red-masked turtle down the halls of the lair laughing in much the same manner. I recall the big, innocent green eyes, and the sound of little shuffling feet following me wherever I went asking me millions of questions I didn't know the answers to.

I also remembered the way I used to respond. My nostalgic smile twisted into a frown. I remembered how cruelly I used to treat him. The way I would brush his questions off, or lie to him, or even yell at him to get him to leave me alone. I remembered all the times I had sent him off crying. Suddenly, a memory from when we were seven began to play in my head…

Raph followed me down the hallway asking me questions I didn't know the answer to. I told him I didn't know, but he kept asking and my anger rose. Finally I turned on him and snapped, "Look, Raph, I don't care! Just stop following me! I don't have time for you right now!" I still remember the way my anger evaporated into guilt as I saw the look on his face. Before I could apologize Raphael had run down the hall, the tears streaming down his face. The next day, something in my brother had changed. In the years to come, I would recognize it as the beginning of the divide between my immediate younger brother and myself. Raphael didn't follow me around that day.

Or any day since.

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 **A bit of downer, huh? Since the rest of the Phrases bits were relatively light-hearted I edited it. But I did play around with the idea of making a full chapter or a short series of chapters based on this version.**

 **What do you guys think? Review Please!**


	8. Misc:Sins of the Father

**I wrote this up with the intention of creating a story called Sins of the Father with a chapter dedicated to each turtle's relationship with their father, particularly some of the more difficult moments. Of course I started with Raphael.**

 **But unfortunately no other ideas ever came to me, so I didn't create the story.**

* * *

 **Outtake 8: Sins of the Father**

I glance around the room at my sons. I can't believe how much they've grown. Today is their thirteenth birthday. They are finally teenagers. I hope that as they grow older they will continue to develop into very capable individuals. Part of me wishes that I could have done more for them, but part of me knows that I cannot baby them any longer.

I know that they have just passed a milestone becoming teenagers, but I will always see them as my little children. I glance over at each of them in turn. Donatello has sprouted rapidly over the past few months. He's taller than the rest of his brothers, and he is still growing in mind and stature. Michelangelo…is the baby of the family. That is without a doubt. I am concerned that he is a little bit too aloof sometimes. I fear that he will still require quite a bit of attention.

Leonardo. _Ah Leonardo._ Leonardo is everything I could have hoped. He is kind, loyal, and cares deeply about his brothers. He is very skilled in his training and tries his hardest to do his best at everything. I couldn't be more proud.

The door to the sewers slammed loudly and I turned towards where the last of my sons now stood. "Raphael! How many times have I told you not to slam the door?!"

He rolled his eyes and sighed. _Ay, Raphael…_ I, too, was hotheaded and impetuous in my youth, but Raphael brings it to a whole new level. I sighed. Raphael…needs a lot of conditioning. And I don't mean training-wise. He is very skilled in his training. His strength is his advantage. But his temper is his tragic flaw. I have told him time and time again that anger is a dangerous ally, but he has recently developed a habit of avoiding me. Avoiding all of us, actually. Raphael has taken to spending long bouts of time alone in his room. What he does in there, I have absolutely no idea.

Raphael turned to head down the hall.

"Raphael." I called after him. He slowly turned to face me with an exasperated look. "Today is your thirteenth mutation day. Stay here with your brothers and myself."

His neon green eyes narrowed. Raphael glanced down at his brothers who were seated on the floor in front of the television. Then he shook his head. "No. I'm going to my room."

"Raphael! You will stay here with your brothers and myself!" I commanded sternly.

He glared at me. "And what if I say no, Sensei? What are you gonna do then, huh? Give me extra backflips? Double training? Go ahead! It beats having to stay in here with you guys anyway!"

The other turtles looked horrified, both of Raphael's outburst and my wrath.

"RAPHAEL!" I yelled reprimandingly. "You will not speak that way to your brothers or myself!"

"Alright, I'm going to my room." He said storming off.

My temper got the better of me and I went right after him. I pushed him into the room, slamming the door behind me. Raphael had been behaving like this for the past four months. It ends now.

"Raphael. I have always tried to do my best for the four of you. I took you in, I raised you as my own, and I loved you as my sons. But I cannot understand why you resent me so! Why you resent your brothers! I just do not understand! You used to be so well behaved as a child but ever since your ninth birthday you have changed! Tell me Raphael, what did I do? How could I possibly have hurt you to justify this behavior?"

A soft sound echoed through the room. Was Raphael…crying? It had been so long since my red-masked son had cried that I'd forgotten what it had sounded like.

He refused to meet my gaze and my tone softened. "Raphael…did I do something that hurt you?"

To my absolute horror, he nodded. I had always suspected…there was a reason behind Raphael's behavior.

Slowly Raphael spoke. His voice was small, and sounded incredibly young, reminding me that he was little more than a child. "You never loved me."

I stared in shock. "Raphael, I have always loved you. I will always love you." I reached out to pull him into a hug, but he recoiled before I could do so.

He shook his head. "N-No…you never loved _me,_ Sensei! When I was little I did what you wanted. I tried to be the son that you wanted, but…I couldn't! You never loved me. You only loved the image of me that you had created! You never loved the real me! You never will." Raph's shoulders drooped and my heart clenched as I watched a tear roll slowly down his cheeks.

"Raphael…" My anger was gone. My mind swirled around what my son had just told me. I remembered a phrase that I had read in one of my many parenting books when the turtles were younger: _love the child you have, not the child you want._ "I…I did not realize…"

I watched the tears streaming down his cheeks, feeling like the worst Father in history. Slowly, I reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. "Raphael, my child, please believe me when I say that I love you and I want to learn more about the real you, not the you that I molded you into."

I could see large amounts of hesitation in his eyes. And…fear?

"I don't want it to hurt anymore." He murmured.

"Don't want what to hurt, my son?"

Raphael placed a hand softly over his plastron and that was answer enough.

Tears came to my eyes. I can't believe that all this time I've been hurting my child. "I promise you, Raphael. I don't ever want you to hurt that way again."

He slowly stepped closer to me and murmured. "You…you can hug me now. If…if you still want to."

Tears of joy sprang up in the corners of my eyes as I lunged forward and swept him up into a hug. "Of course I still want to, Raphael!"

He clung to me and I wondered how long it had been since I had hugged him last. _A very long time,_ my mind supplied. I pressed the side of my face to his forehead and we cried together. I pressed a kiss to his brow and I could feel him shudder with the force of his sobs. "Tomorrow we will spend the day foraging in the sewers together, my son. I want you to tell me all about yourself. I want to get to know _you_. Understand?"

He nodded against my chest and I chuckled, wrapping my arms more tightly around him.

I want to get to know him the way a father should, the way I should have done from the beginning. I know it will be hard to get him to open up to me, after so many years of hurt, but he is my son and I love him. I will not let him withdraw from me again. Never again. I love my son. And I never want him to feel this way again.

* * *

 **Well, how was it? Not one of my better fics, in my opinion, but I'd like to know what you guys think. Review Please!**


	9. BB: Arms

**So this is a short bit. And I mean a REALLY short bit. I found it stored away deep in the black hole of notes that is my old phone. I hope you like it. I've never really written a piece like this before.**

* * *

 **Brotherly Blunders Outtake 5: Arms**

Each of my brothers has a very different way of showing affection and very different ways of giving hugs. So when two strong arms wrapped around me from behind in a darkened room, I automatically made the only logical deduction. Michelangelo.

He's the only one who would be emotionally perturbed enough to risk startling me in the dark. Or so I thought.

But it wasn't Mikey. Shell, it wasn't even Donnie. It the one turtle I'd least expected to find hugging me. Me of all turtles. I mean. He's my brother, and I know he cares about me, but this is taking it a bit far.

I try to pry his arms off me, but I fail, unfortunately.

This is really starting to get to me.

I mean, coming from Don or Mikey, this might be a little more normal. But Him? Him?! I just...I don't...he's never done anything like this before. I try to pry his arms off of me once again.

"Don't."

I looked down at him and raised an eye-ridge. "Huh?"

"Just shut up and turn around!"

I did as he said, reluctantly. Just when I thought I was free, I found myself wrapped in his vice-like grip once again.

"Oomph." I grunted as he threw himself at me, pressing the side of his head against my chest. Okay, this was starting to make me feel really weirded out. "What are you-?"

"Shut up and hug me!"

I did as best as I could to put my hands on my hips. "I-wha-what?!" Was the best I could do.

"Hug me." He said, his voice softening just a little, with a hint of genuine desperation.

I sighed and wrapped my arms around his shell. He pressed firmly into the embrace and we stayed that way for a long time.

Guess this what happens when you nearly get decapitated by Shredder. Brothers freak out, i get that. But I never would have expected this from this particular brother.

Maybe I was a little bit quick to judge. We do all have our own methods of reassuring each other. But maybe I need to reassess my methods concerning this brother. Because maybe this is the kind of reassurance he needs most.

* * *

 **FIN**

 **I left this very open because I wanted it to be a mystery as to who was really comforting whom. So you guys as readers can decide which way you think it is.**

 **Just out of curiosity: who did you think was comforting whom? And how did you make your decision?**

 **Review please. Did you like it?**


	10. BB: Insomniac

**In answer to the questions posed in the reviews of last chapter, when I was writing it in my mind the speaker was Leo. And the hugger was Raph. But, like I said, I left it open to interpretation. There were definitely moments where I felt it could have been the other way around.**

 **Now, about this chapter. This chapter I didn't put into Brother Blunders because…well…because…(scratches head in confusion) I have no idea. I think that maybe it was just misplaced among my documents and that's why I only rediscovered it now. So now, after much editing, I am now placing it here! Yay! Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Brotherly Blunders Outtake 6: Insomniac**

I am a slave to insomnia. Have been for a long time. I can't even remember when it started. But it was long before our battles with the technodrome, long before our discovery of the Krang. Shell, it began long before our first trip to the surface!

I've been this way for as long as I can remember.

Though for a while, after our first couple trips to the surface, I began sleeping better. Maybe it was the added stress of having the weight of the world on our shoulders. Maybe it was the relief of no longer being restricted to the sewers. Who knows. But for a while there, things weren't so bad.

Now…Let's just say the past couple weeks haven't been exactly restful. My insomnia has always been bad, but in the past I'd eventually pass out from pure exhaustion and manage to squeeze a couple of hours in. That's why I've hit rock bottom. It's been almost a full week and I haven't slept at all. And with the amount of exertion we go through on a daily basis, three days without sleep was all it took before I started looking like one of the walking dead.

I've managed to fool my brothers so far. I tell them it's just the stress of all the world domination finally getting to me. They seemed to accept that. But I won't be able to keep them in the dark forever. Sensei's already getting suspicious.

It's all I can take just to keep going. I'm running on fumes. I'm so darn tired I can hardly stand up straight, but every time I close my eyes and try to sleep, sleep just will not come. I know that Sensei would probably say that I can't sleep because there is something on my mind. Well I've searched and searched, I've meditated for hours, which seemed to frighten my brothers a little, and I finally just gave up. If there's something bothering me, I sure don't have a clue of what it is.

I sigh. Almost five o'clock. Mikey will be up soon to start making breakfast. Today's early training. We start at six fifteen sharp.

I groan and make my way over to the coffee maker, starting a fresh batch. Another problem mine. Since I can't sleep at night, I have to resort to other means to force myself to stay awake during the day.

I yawn, cradling my steaming hot cup of coffee close to me. Breathing in the fumes makes me feel a little more awake, at least. I lethargically lift the warm mug up to my lips and force myself to down the cup of hot, black, liquid. I never did like the taste of black coffee. Far too bitter.

Taking the cup with me, I stand and make my way to the sink, wash out the cup, dry it, and put it back on the shelf where it belongs. And just in time too.

Mikey came bounding cheerfully down the hall, whistling brightly. I rolled my eyes. Sometimes I wanna smack him just for being too goddamn cheerful. I resumed my seat at the counter just as he arrived.

"G'morning Raphie!" He crowed in his sing-song voice.

I growled. "Don't call me that."

He sighed. "Looks like someone got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning."

I would have been happy to get up on any side of the bed this morning, provided that I'd been able to sleep.

Silence followed as Mikey completely devoted himself to the task of making breakfast.

I paid very little attention to what he was doing. Instead, I sat with my elbows on the counter and my head in my hands, fighting the urge to pass out.

"Raph…?"

"Are you alright?"

 _Shell! When did those two get here?_ I immediately lifted my head up and growled at them. "I'm fine."

Mikey made a shooing motion from where he was standing at the stove. "Don't mind him bros. He's crabby today." They accepted that and sat beside me at the counter, though I could still feel Leo's eyes sizing me up every so often. Mikey beamed over the counter at me and I suddenly felt very ill-at-ease. "I hope you're hungry Raph! I'm making your favorite! Extra meaty pizza omelets!"

My stomach rebelled at the thought of food and I fought the urge to hurl. I shook my head lightly. "Thanks Mikey, but I ain't hungry."

The air in the room suddenly grew stale. There was a split second of absolute inaction as the three of them stared at me with shock.

Belatedly I realized that saying I wasn't hungry wasn't such a good answer. Mikey, in particular, looked crestfallen. "You haven't been eating too well lately, bro. I thought making your favorites would help."

 _Shell, Mikey noticed that I haven't been eating as much?!_ He's more observant than I thought. I sighed. "Look, Mikey, it's not that I don't appreciate it, little brother. But I just don't think I can stomach it. I'll just have some cereal."

An olive green hand suddenly landed on my forehead. I turned to glare at my purple-masked sibling. "Hands off, Donatello." I snarled, pushing his hand away roughly.

Leo looked at Donnie and the two of them conversed as though I wasn't even there. "Well?" Fearless asked.

"Well, he doesn't have a fever." Don stated evenly. He reached out and seized my wrist. "His pulse is normal."

"Which means?" Leo prompted.

I rolled my eyes and yanked my wrist away from Donnie.

"Which means he isn't sick." The brainiac finished.

I glowered at them both. "If I was sick, I'd be the first one to know it, genius."

"And the last one to admit it." Leo shot back, frustratedly. "We're just looking out for you."

"Yeah, whatever." I said, crossing my arms over my plastron.

After breakfast we all stood and piled the dished into the sink. It was Leo's and my turn for dishes so I washed and he dried. We finished quickly and efficiently and soon enough we were all lined up in the dojo.

Splinter entered as six-fifteen precisely as he always does and we began. I managed to plow my way through most of the training session. Finally we got to the sparring, the last item on our training agenda for the day. Even in my weakened state, I refused to allow myself to be beaten by my little brothers. It was much more difficult, but I finally managed to defeat them. Then, just as Leonardo and I began circling each other, a horrible tension headache struck and I hissed. Leo was mid-attack when my step faltered. His eyes widened and his swords sliced into the tatami mats as he thrust them off to the side. Suddenly everything swirled. I heard Leo cry out my name, and then…oblivion. I passed out.

When I woke up I was in the lab. One of Donnie's darned contraptions wouldn't stop beeping. A heart monitor. My mind supplied. I sighed. Well, my brothers must know by now. So no point in trying to hide it anymore. Might as well take the opportunity to get some sleep. I rolled over so that I was plastron down and closed my eyes, this time in peaceful slumber.

The next time I awakened, it was to my brothers' faces all looming over me. I growled at them. "Go away and let me sleep in peace!" I yelled at them.

Leo frowned. "Raph…how do you feel?"

"Stop asking questions and turn the goddamn lights off. I'm trying to get some sleep here."

"Raph, you passed out in the middle of training! Do you have any idea how worried we were?! Then you were unconscious for almost eight hours, then you rolled over and fell asleep, disconnecting the heart monitor in the process and scaring us all into thinking we'd lost you! And all you have to say for yourself is 'turn the goddamn lights off'?!"

Well, Leo is definitely pissed. But I, on the other hand was desperate. This was a rare opportunity for me. I was actually able to fall asleep. I can't waste this opportunity when I have it at my fingertips. "Leo, I've barely slept at all in the past two months please…just go away and let me sleep!" I whined, ignoring their shocked faces as I actually said the word please.

Leo's glare softened and he put a hand over mine, softly. "You gave us all quite a scare, little brother. And following the heart monitor incident you slept for three days straight."

At this point I gave up. There was no way I was gonna get them to do as I asked, so I rolled over and buried my head in my arms. I could already feel the blissful peace of sleep settling over me and I sighed contentedly. At last…

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 **Third Person POV**

Leonardo sighed as he watched Raph's breathing even out and he turtle fell back into a deep sleep. Who knows how long the emerald green turtle would sleep this time. But at least Raphael was there, alive and well, where Leo could check in on him every once in a while. The eldest turtle dragged the two youngest turtles out by their wrists.

"C'mon. Let's let princess over there have her beauty sleep."

Mikey chuckled and the three of them left the lab, closing the door softly behind them.

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 **How was it? Did you like it? Review please!**


	11. SP: Denial

**This was going to be chapter 12 of the Silent Partner. I didn't put it in because I thought it was just a little too…well…melodramatic. I don't know…I guess that's what I worry about most in my writing. I'm afraid that sometimes I make things way more emotional than they should be and then I psyche my self out thinking that it's not good.**

 **Anyway…enough about me. So this is an outtake from the Silent Partner where we see Leo being an awesome guy. Because he is.**

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 **The Silent Partner Outtake 1: Denial**

It was evening in the turtle lair. And for once, it was quiet. Absolutely quiet. Which it often was when the turtles were out patrol, which they were. Mona had been reluctant after what had happened last time, but she eventually let them go. Right now she was in her room, alone, hugging her pillow to her chest. Splinter was right: concern didn't help bring them home any faster, but that didn't mean she could just push her feelings off to the side.

Mona Lisa was worried, plain and simple. She was worried about all of them, of course she was but…she was particularly worried about Raphael. He hadn't been himself since Mikey had walked in on them the other day. He'd been strangely skittish and he shied away from her touch. And Mona Lisa wasn't certain, but it seemed to her like Raph had been avoiding her. It hurt. She wanted to know what she'd done wrong. Why he suddenly just…stopped. He'd stopped standing so close to her, stopped smiling at her, stopped…liking her.

Raph's behavior really had Mona Lisa feeling down-in-the-dumps. She missed him. Even when he was right there in the room with her she missed him. She…liked Raphael. And she wanted him to like her back. Oh, how she wanted him to like her back. But now it seemed like he wanted nothing to do with her…

A tear slid down Mona's cheek and she hugged the pillow tighter. A soft sob left her as she cried…alone.

Less than a minute after she'd begun sobbing the door burst open.

"Hey Mona I was wondering if you—" The eldest of the turtle siblings stopped halfway through the sentence, his voice dying away as he registered the scene before him.

Leonardo frowned sadly and took a seat on the bed beside her. He put a hand on her shoulder. "Mona…are you okay?"

The lizard mutant sat up a little and dried her eyes. For a long moment she stared silently at the eldest turtle before abruptly breaking into another chorus of sobs and throwing herself at him.

Leo caught her with ease and wrapped her in a loose embrace. "Sh. Its okay. You're safe here. Nothing from your past can harm you here."

Mona Lisa shook her head violently.

The ninja leader was confused. "Huh?"

As Mona gestured Leo's eyes followed very carefully as he tried to comprehend what she was saying. She went as slow as she could but eventually she got so upset that she threw her hands up in the air and surrendered with sigh.

Leonardo frowned. That wasn't like Mona. She didn't give up easily. She was stubborn. She hated it when she couldn't get her point across. Leo's bottom lip pushed out in a contemplative expression and he finally resolved to wrap a gentle arm around her shoulders.

The lizard mutant looked forlornly up into the eldest turtle's big blue eyes.

"Take your time." Leo stated.

Mona canted her head in confusion and Leo let out a light chuckle.

"I'm not going anywhere until I understand what's bothering you."

Mona Lisa sighed in relief and wrapped Leonardo in a grateful hug. Slowly she began to explain as best she could…

"Raph? Why? What happened?"

After a long period of silence, Mona attempted to describe, in great detail, what had occurred between Raphael and herself the day he threw the fork in the ceiling.

Leo's eyes widened and his cheeks flushed.

Mona sighed and her shoulders drooped. Her hair cascaded down in front of her eyes and shadowed her face.

Leo's embarrassed stare immediately melted into one of concern. "Mona Lisa, are you alright?"

'He doesn't like me.' She gestured, a single tear running down her cheek.

"What?! Mona, how can you say that? Of course Raph likes you!"

Mona Lisa shook her head.

The eldest turtle tilted the lizard mutant's chin up so that he could see into her eyes. "Mona, please believe me when I say that Raphael cares more about you than he's ever cared for anyone before. He's just too darn hardheaded to see that it's staring him right in the face."

Earth brown eyes were so hopeful that it made Leo's stomach twist.

"The only reason Raph's been avoiding you is because I'd wager that he thinks you don't realize what you're doing. He doesn't want to take advantage of you, Mona."

Her eyes widened. 'What do I do?'

Leonardo smiled. "I've got an idea. But we're gonna need Donnie and Mikey's help."

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